to think everyone should know this about helium balloons?

[ninjasquirrel]

I only found this out the other day and was quite shocked. Basically, helium is essential for MRI scanners and some other things, but it is a finite resource and because we are using it all up for party balloons etc. it could be all gone within 25-30 years. See here

Scary fact.

On further consideration, can't be that hard to extract oxygen can it, us animals are doing it all the time.

eaglewings - why not fill foil balloons with air instead?

I fill my balloons with a mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

oxygen is distilled from the air. Easy old technology.

Choccyp1g I think Oxygen is generally just extracted from the air - I think air is just filtered and then cooled to seperate out the oxygen which liquify at different temps. They're much easier to get with 78% and 20% of the air made up of it, compared to 0.0005% helium.

Oh - Did I step into a science class by mistake?

Insomnia - where do you get that from?

bollocks, I was just about to write something interesting and I can't remember what as some nice cold caller person from furrin parts wanted to right of all my debts for me .

I thought you were going to warn us of the dangers of asphyxiation from helium inhalation with party balloons. That's bad enough, but now I'm on a we're-all-dooomed-7billion-deadplanet freak out.

Where's me rucksack?

i attached a prawn to a helium balloon once

There will be untapped sources of helium elsewhere in the world I'm sure. Human beings are very resourceful. Party balloons at our house just use a plastic balloon pump though!!

I refuse to buy helium filled balloons anyway. no more drama when the dc let go...

DeWe no it is Helium, the lovely Steven Fry and the even lovlier Scientist Brian Cox said so

Brian Cox :) :) :)

I think in the grand scheme of using up the Earth's resources on useless shite, helium balloons are pretty minor.

Breatheslowly - she means that she blows up with her lungs...so in actual fact there is also a lot of nitrogen in there (continues science lesson)

Surely what we breathe out is about 78% nitrogen.

You also need helium for large hadron colliders. (In case somebody is thinking of getting one!)

Tiggy, didn't they let out far too much helium at CERN when they first tested the new 'circle' ?

Glad I'm alone in my crush on Brian

A helium squeaky voice has just gone on my list-of-things-I-must-do.

My DH is one of the world's leading producers of methane, if that's any help?

methane kind of makes you go in a squeaky voice :o but I'm not sure zombiecart means THAT

Imagine the fun and laughter at a kiddies' party when someone decides to inhale the contents of a (decidedly un-buoyant and limp) 'methane' filled balloon.

Oh well, resources are scarce - we have to make the best of what is cheap and plentiful. As long as Heinz keep making beans and Cobra keep brewing lager, we'll still be able to light a stove and cook a meal.

:o